The MP for Durham announced he won't be seeking re-election and that he'll resign his seat in the House of Commons at the end of the spring session
OTTAWA — Former Conservative Party of Canada leader Erin O’Toole is stepping down as a member of Parliament.
In a letter posted to Twitter Friday morning, the MP for Durham, Ont., announced he won’t seek re-election and will resign his seat in the House of Commons at the end of the spring session of Parliament.
“It was been an honour of a lifetime to serve my community in Parliament and to also have the privilege to serve the country as a minister and leader of the opposition,” O’Toole wrote.
“I have been fortunate to have the opportunity to advance issues that I believe are critically important to our country — from veterans’ mental health to military preparedness, nuclear energy, Arctic sovereignty and a range of other important issues. I will continue to advance these interests and serve my constituents until the end of this session.”
O’Toole, 50, was born in Montreal, the son of former Progressive Conservative MPP John O’Toole, who represented Durham in the Ontario legislature.
Upon graduating from the Royal Military College in 1995, O’Toole was commissioned as an officer in the Canadian Forces, where he trained as a navigator.
After completing his military service in 2000, O’Toole studied law while working as a reservist training officer, earning his law degree three years later.
O’Toole worked mainly in business and corporate law during his legal career, practising at law firms including Bay Street law firm Stikeman Elliott and as in-house counsel for Procter and Gamble.
In 2012, O’Toole led a successful run to represent Durham — the same riding his father represented provincially — for the Conservatives following the resignation of former Conservative cabinet minister Bev Oda.
O’Toole served as parliamentary secretary for then international trade minister Ed Fast, before being named veterans affairs minister after Julian Fantino was shuffled out of the portfolio in 2015.
O’Toole managed to hold onto his seat following the Conservatives’ defeat in the 2015 federal election, followed by an unsuccessful bid as interim party leader.
O’Toole tried and failed to win party leadership in 2017, finishing third behind winner Andrew Scheer and runner-up Maxime Bernier.
Following Scheer’s resignation as party leader two years later, O’Toole’s third bid to become leader proved successful, besting veteran MP and Harper-era cabinet minister Peter MacKay in three ballots in August 2020.
O’Toole led the Conservatives into the snap summer 2021 federal election, where he held onto his seat and won the popular vote, but failed to unseat the Trudeau Liberals.
That sparked an internal review of O’Toole’s leadership spearheaded by former Calgary-Heritage MP Bob Benzen, who accused him of flip-flopping on vital issues and veering from his original platform.
“Mr. O’Toole campaigned in the leadership as a principled Conservative voice that could unite the party,” Benzen said at the time.
“Since Mr. O’Toole assumed the position of leader there have been numerous instances of flip-flops and questionable judgment.”
Despite publicly defending his leadership, accusing some in the party of turning the CPC into “the NDP of the right,” and facing criticism for being insufficiently supportive of the Freedom Convoy protest in Ottawa, O’Toole was ousted as leader in February 2022 in a 73-to-45 caucus vote, but held onto his seat in the House.
MP Michael Chong, one of O’Toole’s allies in the House, told the National Post he made a tremendous contribution to Canada.
“As Conservative leader, he took the party through a difficult time of transition as we head towards government,” he said, describing O’Toole as a “good friend” through the ups and downs of political life.
“I know he’ll continue to play an important role in providing advice as we continue to build a Conservative party ready for government.”
Conservative Party Leader Pierre Poilievre praised O’Toole’s time in office, saying that we can all take lessons and inspiration from his service to others.
“Whether it was serving on a Sea King helicopter during his years in our military or fighting for our veterans and soldiers as the Minister of Veterans Affairs, Erin has demonstrated his deep commitment to our great country,” Poilievre said in a statement.
“I truly wish Erin all the best in the next chapter of his life, and I would like to thank him for his service to both the Conservative Party of Canada and all Canadians.”
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